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The society of sensation
Faction philosophy: According to these folks, the multiverse is known by the senses – the only proofs of existence. Without experience, without sensation, a thing isn’t. If a sod can’t taste the soup, then it ain’t soup. The only way to know anything for sure is to use the senses. Look, it ain’t that hard to understand. Which is real, a description of a rose or the rose itself? Only a barmy’d choose the description, which ain’t real. It’s got no smell, no thorns, no color. Picking a rose, that’s real, and the way a body knows is by experiencing it. The senses are the only way to know the universe. So some berk’ll ask, “What’s this got to do with universal Truth, the meaning of the multiverse?” Well, the chant is no one’s going to know the big dark until they’ve experienced everything – all the flavors, colors, scents, and textures of all the worlds. Only when a body’s experienced the whole universe does the great dark of it all finally get revealed. It may seem like an impossible task, but there just might be a way to bob the problem cheat the multiverse, as it were. It just might be that the multiverse doesn’t exist beyond what a body can sense. The answer to what’s over the next hill just might be “nothing.” Given that, the multiverse has limits, and a body can try to experience it all. A being’s got to savor the intensity, explore the complexity. Don’t just guzzle the wine – find all the flavors within it. Before a sod’s all done, he’ll learn the differences between Arborean and Ysgardian wine, know them by vintage, and even by the hand of the vintner. Only then do the secrets of the multiverse start to make themselves clear. Primary plane of Influence:The Sensates are strongest on Arborea, a plane of great beauty in all things. In Sigil, their headquarters is naturally the resplendent Civic Festhall. Allies and Enemies: The Sensates and the Signers, both egocentric factions, do share points of agreement concerning their philosophies, and they often cooperate in their activities. Sensates are cordial to Guvners and Indeps, intrigued by their descriptions of things far away. However, they’re opposed to the philosophies of the Doomguard, which sees worlds only as decaying objects. Eligibility: The Society of Sensation is one of the most liberal of all factions. Anyone, of any race, class, or alignment, can join. How to join: The Society of Sensation has the easiest of all requirements for entrance into its faction: none. Any being of any race, gender, class, or alignment can join. All a character needs is a genuine desire to experience the multiverse. Those expressing interest at the Civic Festhall will be directed to a factotum who’ll administer a test designed to weed out mere curiosity-seekers. Using recorder stones, the applicant must contribute five worthwhile experiences to the Public Sensorium’s library, each of which focuses on a different sense – sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste. Alternatively, the cutter may contribute a single experience that has strong elements from each of the five senses. Only the factotum may decide if the applicant’s experiences are creative enough to allow him membership into the faction. If the Sensate doesn’t think the initiate’s ready, he’ll tell the sod to go out and play a bit more in the multiverse, then return to the Festhall and try again. Namer Benefits/Restrictions Signing Bonus: Sensates own nearly every entertainment establishment in the city of Sigil, and aren’t shy about spreading the wealth among the membership. New characters start with 3x the starting money, existing character who join the sensates are given 2x the max starting gold for a character of the last class they leveled. Sensualism: While not to the point of foolhardiness, Sensates are fascinated by new tastes, smells, and so forth. Whenever possible, they’ll seek out new experiences. In practice, they can’t refuse offers that could lead to these – a new wine, an exotic flower, or whatever. Only when faced with obvious deadly peril will they shun such temptations. Broad Experiences: In their quest to experience everything, Sensates often learn at least a little bit on a broad range of subjects. You may use the Bardic Knowledge ability as if you were a bard of half your level, rounding down. If you already have the bardic knowledge ability, you gain a +4 bonus to it. Criterion Modifier Character’s level +½ PC’s level Charisma 13+ +1 For each class you possess a level in +1 Scent ability +2 Blindsense, blindsight or tremorsense +2 Able to polymorph +3 Every 5 ranks in Listen or Spot +1 Untrained in Listen or Spot -1 Each sufficiently unique sense recorded in the sensorium +1 Have died +1 Visited Arborea +1 Every 3 other unique planes visited +1 A sensate you recruited becomes a factotum +1 Each successful mission undertaken for the Sensates +2 Category:Factions